Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction An FAA/NASA/Transport Canada- sponsored Center of Excellence Low Frequency Noise Study prepared by Kathleen K. Hodgdon, Anthony A. Atchley, Robert J. Bernhard April 2007 REPORT N0. PARTNER-COE-2007-001 Final Report PARTNER Low-frequency Noise Study Kathleen K. Hodgdon, Anthony A. Atchley, Robert J. Bernhard PARTNER-COE-2007-001 Opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the FAA, NASA or Transport Canada. The Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction — PARTNER — is a cooperative aviation research organization, and an FAA/NASA/Transport Canada-sponsored Center of Excellence. PARTNER fosters breakthrough technological, operational, policy, and workforce advances for the betterment of mobility, economy, national security, and the environment. The organization's operational headquarters is at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 37-395 Cambridge, MA 02139 USA http://www.partner.aero [email protected] The PARTNER Low Frequency Noise (LFN) team consisted of university members from The Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and The University of Central Florida, with industry and government partners from Boeing, G. E. Aircraft Engines, The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, and Wyle Laboratories during the LFN field study conducted in 2004. Members from Bombardier, Harris Miller Miller and Hanson, and Pratt and Whitney later joined the team in an advisory capacity during the analysis of data and drafting of this report. This work was funded by the Office of Environment and Energy, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration under Contract FAA 03-C-NE-PSU. The project was managed by Dr. Mehmet Marsan. The content of this report draws heavily from the masters theses of graduate students at Penn State and Purdue University. They are denoted with "*" below. University Team Members: Penn State Purdue University Univ. of Central Florida Anthony Atchley Robert Bernhard Roger Wayson Xiao Di Patricia Davies Bradley Dunkin* Luc Mongeau Thomas Gabrielson Daniel Robinson* Remy Gutierrez* Thomas Hettmansperger Kathleen Hodgdon Erin Horan* Matthew Nickerson* Peter Shapiro* Sponsors: FAA: Lourdes Maurice, Mehmet Marsan, Tom Connor NASA: Kevin Shepherd, David McCurdy Advisory Board Members: Boeing: Mahendra Joshi, Belur Shivashankara Bombardier: Mark Huising G.E. Aircraft Engines: Philip Gliebe HMMH: Nick Miller Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority: Neal Phillips, James Rushing Pratt and Whitney: Ebad Jahangir Volpe National Transportation Systems Center: Gregg Fleming, Eric Boeker, Mike Lau, Chris Roof Wyle Laboratories: Ben Sharp, Kenneth J. Plotkin ii Table of Contents List of Acronyms and Symbols....................................................................................................... 1 1. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 3 2. Overview of the Study and Organization of the Report............................................................. 9 3. Background .............................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Subjective Perception, Weighting Networks and Low Frequency Annoyance............. 10 3.2 Findings of Previous Airport Studies of Low-Frequency Noise ................................... 11 3.3 Objective Indicators of Low Frequency Noise Annoyance........................................... 14 4. Addressing FICAN Findings on MSP Expert Panel Report .................................................... 19 5. Low-Frequency Noise Field Study Design .............................................................................. 21 5.1 Airport Selection Process............................................................................................... 21 5.2 Source Noise Measurements.......................................................................................... 24 5.3 Measurements of Low-Frequency Noise Impact Residential Structures....................... 26 5.4 Meteorological Data.......................................................................................................32 6. Source Noise............................................................................................................................. 33 6.1 Sideline Noise During Start-of-Takeoff Roll and Acceleration .................................... 33 6.2 Thrust Reverser Noise.................................................................................................... 36 6.3 Low Frequency Propagation Modeling ......................................................................... 39 7. Noise and Vibration Impact on Residential Structures ............................................................ 43 7.1 Metrics for Vibration Impact and Subjective Perception of Annoyance....................... 43 7.2 Vibration Impact on Residential Structures................................................................... 44 7.2.1 Window Vibration ................................................................................................ 44 7.2.2 Wall and Floor Vibration...................................................................................... 48 7.2.3 Hubbard's Sound Pressure Level Threshold Criteria............................................ 50 7.2.4 Outdoor Metric Indicators of Indoor Audible Window Rattle ............................. 51 7.2.5 Correlation of Outdoor Sound Pressure Metrics with Interior Vibration Levels.. 52 8. Design and Analysis Subjective Jury Trials............................................................................. 56 8.1 Spectral Balance and Rattle Subjective Study Design................................................... 56 8.1.1 Noise Signatures Used in the Spectral Balance and Rattle Subjective Tests ....... 57 8.1.2 Subjective Test Methodology ............................................................................... 59 8.1.3 Analysis Methodology.......................................................................................... 60 8.1.4 Results................................................................................................................... 62 iii 8.1.4.1 Spectral Balance Study.................................................................................. 62 8.1.5 Audible Rattle Study............................................................................................. 65 8.1.6 Objective Metrics of Signatures Used in the Subjective Studies.......................... 68 8.1.7 Correlation of Objective and Subjective Rankings............................................... 69 8.1.7.1 Findings from the Spectral Balance Study.................................................... 70 8.1.7.2 Findings from the Audible Rattle Study........................................................ 71 8.1.8 Comparison of Objective and Subjective Grouping of Signatures....................... 72 8.1.8.1 Spectral Balance Study.................................................................................. 72 8.1.8.2 Audible Rattle Study ..................................................................................... 73 8.1.9 Comparison of Spectral Balance Signatures to Signatures obtained near Florida Airport................................................................................................................... 74 8.1.10 Correlation of Results with the Spectrum of the Signature .................................. 75 8.2 Ability of Tokita Nakamura Threshold to Prediction Aviation Noise Impact............... 77 8.2.1 Experimental Design............................................................................................. 80 8.2.2 Data Analysis and Results .................................................................................... 80 9. Rattle and Low Frequency Sound Insulation Studies .............................................................. 84 9.1 Laboratory Study of Rattle Onset .................................................................................. 84 9.1.1 Rattle Results ........................................................................................................ 85 9.1.2 Theoretical Models of Rattle ................................................................................ 90 9.2 Low Frequency Sound Insulation Study........................................................................ 94 10. Summary, Findings and Recommendations ..................................................................... 98 References................................................................................................................................... 102 iv List of Acronyms and Symbols Acronyms ANSI American National Standard Institute BTL Bradley-Terry-Luce statistical method BWI Baltimore-Washington International Airport CFR Code of Federal Regulations DNL Day Night Level FAA Federal Aviation Administration FICAN Federal Interagency Commission on Aviation Noise FICON Federal Interagency Committee on Noise HA Highly Annoyed HF High frequency HP High-performance window HVAC Heating Ventilating and Air-Conditioning IAD Washington Dulles International